Sahil Kaushik did not believe in cramming but that has not stopped him from coming out with flying colours as he topped the Delhi zone in the IIT-JEE exam at the age of 14.
“Sahil does not take notes nor does he revise. Listening attentively to his teachers once is enough for him. His teachers would often ask him to practice the question papers but he would not do. He would say very confidently there is no need, “ said Sahil’s mother Ruchi Kaushik talking to this newspaper while shy Sahil looked on.
Most of the questions were either answered by his mother or by his teachers. Sahil studied in Vandana School in Dwarka and took coaching from Narayana IIT Academy.
A doctor by profession, Ruchi was her son’s first teacher.
Sahil passed Class 10 at the age of 12. At the age of 14, perhaps he is the youngest topper. He has topped Delhi region with 33rd All India rank.
The boy also has to his credit two Asian Physics Olympiad medals — silver for 2009 and bronze for 2010. Sahil was also a member of Asia School Camp at Japan in 2009 and is a scholar of the prestigious Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana.
Talking about his interest, Sahil said: “I want to do research.”
“I will either go for the integrated M.Sc. at IIT Kanpur or for the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research,” he says. “He enjoys watching films, television, cycling, badminton, Harry Potter and all other things that children love,” Ms Kaushik said.
Sahil’s father is a Colonel in Army and posted to Tezpur and Assam while mother is a doctor who does not practice. They live in Dwarka and Sahil has a younger sister too.